The theory that Colorado drivers are some of the worst in the nation now has data to back it up.

Insurer Nationwide said that it analyzed data from its SmartRide telematics program, which installs a small device in cars, tracks a user's driving habits, including hard braking, fast acceleration and nighttime driving.

The results?

Colorado drivers have a high frequency of suddenly speeding up – an indicator of dangerous behavior, said Larry Thursby, Nationwide's vice president who oversees the telematics program.